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#126
12/28/2007, 01:52 AM
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As far as the Tek PAR goes I think the Tek is going to have more but not by a huge amount. I saw some readings for a guy with a 75 bare bottom which would have the sensor a tad farther away from the tank frame than mine considering my sandbed and raised bottom plate. He got 182 with his fixture sitting 4" above the frame. I know raising my Fauna Marine fixture a little less than 2 inches dropped the PAR from the 280's down to the 240's. It was around a 13% drop. I think saying lowering the Tek 4" would add 25% to the PAR is a very conservative guess. That would make the output about even with the Nova but you gotta remember he was running 2 actinics in his fixture. Lamps were also about 6 months old. I figure running these lamps the Tek would probably be around 250 at least. I will try to score a tek fixture to test but it wont happen till this white nastyness leaves town.
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Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#127
12/28/2007, 02:06 AM
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I would at least load the fixture with some good lamps. You likely wouldn't be happy with the 50/50 mixture of the 10K and blues but changing out one or two rows of 10K's for Aquablues would probably help the looks and I am pretty sure add a little more PAR.
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Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#128
12/28/2007, 02:10 AM
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__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#129
12/28/2007, 02:23 AM
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A polished aluminum AquaZ reflector designed like an Ice Cap had about the same output as a Tek reflector. You figure these are the same material but not as well designed. Hard to say how much less.
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Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#130
12/28/2007, 02:36 AM
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__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#131
12/28/2007, 02:40 AM
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I just put in a little time and maybe a lamp or two for Mo, He ponied up the money for shipping both ways and trusted his shiny new toy to the Grim monster.
__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#132
12/28/2007, 04:01 AM
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first, let me say that Grim, you are the man. i really appreciate both you and Mo stepping up to test this new fixture. i feel a lot better about my purchase now that i have some hard numbers to look at. im still learning about bulb selection and PAR and all that so i have a couple questions about your results.
you said in your preliminary tests you got 245 at the sandbed. 17'' deep with the fixture 2'' from the rim. my tank is only 16'' tall so could i expect slightly higher readings from a shallower depth? is 245 a respectable reading for this fixture with the stock bulbs? when compared to the others you mentioned it seems relatively high. also what is the minimum PAR range recommended for keeping SPS on the sandbed? lastly, if i choose to replace two 10K bulbs with one ATI auablue and one UVL superactinic do you think this would be a good choice? i would run the super actinic and current blue for dusk/dawn. will this combo of: current blue ati aquablue current blue current 10K uvl super actinic current blue get me close to fijibues setup? i plan to swap out all bulbs within 6 months but would like to replace 2 of the 10Ks right now. thanks for all your help Grim, im looking forward to a future TEK comparison.
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-Lewis |
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#133
12/28/2007, 12:52 PM
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The reason ... there was a thread here on RC a while back with a TEK owner noticing a signifigant drop in par after the fixture warmed up. This led to several discussions and I am almost positive that some measurements were done on the TEK and somebody found that the PAR was almost cut in half due to heat build up with the shield in place. This in turn led to discussions of rigging up a fan to cool the TEK to remedy the heat related drop in par. This has been a commonly discussed topic regarding the TEK fixture and it's lack of active cooling. If I'm understanding you, you are saying that the TEK, with the shield in place and NO fan, does not lose any PAR due to heat with the shield in place. I dont mean to doubt you, I respect and appreciate the time and effort you put in and the knowledge that you share. But from what I have read, this appears to have been a documented issue with measurments done to verify. Sorry, I didnt save the links. I dont see why all of the higher end manufacturers would not opt for a passive heat venting scheme if heat and lost par wasnt an issue when the shields were in use. Why bother with the noise, cost and integration of fan cooling ... Anyway, if it isnt much trouble and you do get a hold of a TEK fixture, maybe you can do the measurments and put it to rest one way or the other. |
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#134
12/28/2007, 02:33 PM
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Thanks! |
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#135
12/28/2007, 02:41 PM
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I bought this fixture over a Tek for a couple reasons. I don't plan on keeping a full blown Stoney reef was one of the main ones, I get a little behind on water changes and other maintence stuff, to try that. Price was another one a Tek with bulbs, legs, and splashsheild is $562, where this light was $344. My wife would rather wipe a splashsheild then individual bulbs and reflectors every Sat. morning. I was a little worried about the performance, but now the numbers show that this light will do all that I want it to. The Tek is a very good fixture, probably better then The Extreme Pro, and service from Reefgeek is awesome. As far as getting with Grim and getting it tested, I am wondering through this hobby like everybody else and thought this might help somebody else out. I have learned a ton from this site. Grim has put more work into this then me so he deserves all the thanks.
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#136
12/28/2007, 08:43 PM
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If you use the legs your PAR will drop quite a bit. The lamp change you suggest should be good. It is enough light for SPS properly placed in the tank. You need to keep the higher light SPS on top of the rocks is all. This unit is close to what a Tek will do.
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Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#137
12/28/2007, 08:43 PM
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__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#138
12/28/2007, 08:52 PM
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__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#139
12/28/2007, 08:59 PM
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Hello, I have like many have been waiting for you results on this fixture. I don't know much about lighting. Do you think this fixture would be okay for a 46 gal. bow? Thanks in advance.
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Deb |
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#140
12/28/2007, 09:41 PM
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Deb91 Is your tank deeper then 21 inches? What are you planning to keep in it? If you want to keep hard corals and your tank is deeper then 21 inches you might look into the Tek fixture, maybe even with the Icecap 660 ballast. Hey that the 660 ballast idea might be a future upgrade on mine.
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#141
12/28/2007, 10:26 PM
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Hey grim,
Awesome results, its funny how things play out...i guess the nova is a deal then! Well I am pretty sure my fixture will be on legs, so when you say PAR will be reduced, do you have any guesstimate on how much?? With the bulb setup that you have in your signature...how does that look?? Is it more bluish or is it on the daylight side of the spectrum? If you could post a pic on the thread that would be awesome. I went to ATI's site to read about their bulbs and they wrote that the blue bulbs/actinics really make the fluorescent corals pop, and tanks with little fluorescence should have few blue bulbs. Do you agree with this statement?? I noticed that you have a lot of blue bulbs so am wondering what your setup looks like. Sorry if that was all over the place. Thanks, Sean |
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#142
12/28/2007, 10:44 PM
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As far as the look it is a little bit of a purplish blue tint to it. Sort of like 14K halides with VHO actinics running if you have ever seen that.
__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#143
12/28/2007, 11:35 PM
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Wish I still had my Nova Extreme. I would have shipped that one to you if you would have been interested to see just exactly how that flat reflector did. Sold it a couple months ago. Thanks Grim. |
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#144
12/28/2007, 11:37 PM
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Hello moprint, I really don't know how deep it is and am not at home to measure it. As far as what I would would want to keep I was hoping these lights would be good enough for a 46 gal.I know a lot of people have the nova extremes 4x39 and our putting things in and they are thriving! I ask a question and people tell me no way for an anemone, while people with 46 gal were showing me pictures of their thriving tanks just with the 4x39. I just thought I was good to go with the 6x39 nova extreme pro.
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Deb |
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#145
12/29/2007, 12:02 AM
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I measured the par jump when I added the cross-flow fan to my tek. I cant remember the number off the top of my head... it was between 15 and 20 % though. The initial reading was w/o a sheild. Then, when I added one, I bent one side down to create a duct where the fan could blow up into the bulbs, and then that air would carry across the reflectors/bulbs to the other end. The difference in output because of the sheild wasnt noticable, and at the oppsite end from the fan, it actually jumped a little (about 5% I think) because now that end was getting the same cooling as the end where the fan was at.
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"If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it" -Al Einstein |
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#146
12/29/2007, 12:21 AM
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#147
12/29/2007, 02:09 AM
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21" tall should be able to support a BTA but don't go throwing a high lighting anemone in there.
__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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#149
12/29/2007, 02:35 AM
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No, If you want SPS just keep them up on the rocks a ways. Most anemones need to be able to find enough light and current flow they like. If you get one that only gets enough light on top of the rocks getting it to stay in ove spot could be a PITA
__________________
Grim tells it like it is. Last year the SEC was the strongest conference but overrated. This year they were just overrated. |
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